Typical gloves, such as working gloves, which include finger sheaths, a four-finger body, and a five-finger body knitted in a continuous manner, are knitted by using a dedicated glove-knitting device. Most of the gloves of these types can be worn on the left or right hand.
Conventional gloves that can be worn on the left or right hand are generally knitted in a manner such that, as shown in FIG. 10, the knitted segments of the glove defined by a little-finger sheath 1, a ring-finger sheath 2, a middle-finger sheath 3, a index-finger sheath 4, a thumb sheath 5, and a five-finger body are in the same plane of a backhand-side and a palm-side of the glove.
In detail, the knitting operation for the glove is performed by first knitting the little-finger sheath 1, and then sequentially knitting the ring-finger sheath 2, the middle-finger sheath 3, and the index-finger sheath 4. The little-finger sheath 1 to the index-finger sheath 4 define a one tubular body so as to form a four-finger body.
After knitting the four-finger body, the thumb sheath 5 is knitted. The thumb sheath 5 and the previously-knitted four-finger body are joined to each other so as to form one five-finger body. Subsequently, a wrist portion is knitted, whereby the entire knitting operation is completed.
When knitting the finger sheaths using, for example, a dedicated glove-knitting device, a restraining rod called a razor is generally used. The razor holds two to three stitches of the previously-knitted sheath proximate the subsequent sheath to be knitted onto the corresponding knitting needles so that the knitting needles holding the stitches are used in the knitting process for the subsequent sheath.
This is performed for each of finger-converging portions among the little-finger sheath 1 to the index-finger sheath 4 by shifting the razor to the corresponding position.
When the knitting processes for all of the sheaths except for the thumb sheath 5 are finished, the stitches previously in an inoperative state are set to an operative state, and a knitting process for the four-finger body is performed by turning a knitting yarn while stitches are overlapped at each finger-converging portion. Such a knitting process for each finger-converging portion is also performed between the four-finger body and the thumb sheath 5.
As mentioned above, the knitting operation for knitting a conventional glove is performed in a manner such that the knitted segments of the glove defined by the little-finger sheath 1, the ring-finger sheath 2, the middle-finger sheath 3, the index-finger sheath 4, the thumb sheath 5, and the five-finger body are in the same plane of a backhand-side and a palm-side of the glove.
However, in the palm of an actual human hand, the base portion of the thumb protrudes from the entire palm, and the thumb is therefore positioned in front of the other fingers. For this reason, the pointing direction of the thumb-tip and the thumbnail is different from the pointing direction of the fingertips and the fingernails of the little finger, the ring finger, the middle finger, and the index finger.
Consequently, in a flat-knitted glove described above, a feeling of tightness may be generated at the backhand side of the base portion of the thumb when the glove is worn. This causes a bad fit of the glove on the hand, and moreover, leads to a bad appearance of the glove due to stretched stitches at the backhand side.
Furthermore, when the glove is worn, the body portion of the thumb comes into contact with bulging portions Y disposed at opposite sides of a fingertip curve-line X formed at the tip of the thumb sheath 5. This causes a sense of discomfort when the glove is worn and thus leads to deterioration of workability.